Hey Guys! For today’s post, I thought I’d do something a little different and give you a look at my bookshelves! So, i’m, going to share with you the top ten authors I own the most books from!

Isn’t my book shelf beautiful(to the left)? I absolutely love it. From all my beautiful books to my WWE figures proudly displayed on top, it’s my favorite thing in my bedroom, if not even in my whole house. I mean, just look at it in all it’s beauty! I have no shame in admitting that sometimes I just stare at it.

10.) J.K Rolling

Who doesn’t have at least one Harry Potter book on their shelf? I have four of them! I plan to buy the rest of the series as I read them. Fun Fact: I didn’t start reading Harry Potter books until I was eighteen. And I’m on the fourth book, so no spoilers.

I read the daughter’s books as they came out. The very first one, I read in 2010 and it’s been a story that’s stuck with me. I still think about Lizzie and her modeling adventures.I have the four books in the Daughter’s series.

I read If I Stay before the movie came out a few summers ago BUT it had been on my list of books i’d been needing to read forever. I read it in one sitting, finishing it at two in the morning and then I went and found my e-reader that I never use and bought the sequel and finished it the next day. I was lucky enough to meet Gayle at Teen Book Con the same year I met Ally Carter. She was key note speaker and her speech was amazing. I have four of Gayle’s books.

Sisters in Sanity

If I Stay

Just One Day

Just One Year

7.) Jenny Han

CAN WE JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND TALK ABOUT THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT LAURA JEAN. I’m excited, can’t you tell? I really love that character. I have four of Jenny’s books.

Who doesn’t own or read at least one John Green book? He’s like the most known YA author around these days. I have 5 of John’s books

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Paper Towns

The Fault in Our Stars

Will Greyson, wil greyson (Co-written with David Levithan)

5.) Ally Carter

I started reading Ally Carter when I was in middle school. Those were some of the first books I was really excited about reading. I’m excited to pick the series back up, hopefully sometime soon. I was lucky enough to meet Ally at Teen Book Con 2015 and it was a fan girl moment. I have seven of Ally’s books.

The Heist Society

The Gallager Girl Series

If I Told You I Love You, The I’d Have to Kill You

Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy

Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover

Only the Good Spy Young

Out of Sight Out of Mind

United We Spy

4.) Emily Giffin

I discovered Emily Giffin last summer when Where We Belong was recommended to me on Goodreads. I’d actually already had Something Borrowed because it was my mom’s. I decided to give it a read before I bought Where We Belong. I loved it and ended up reading all of her novels by the end of 2015. I have all of Emily’s novels, seven in total, that are out and I am dying for her newest book that comes out at the end of June, First Comes Love.

I have almost all of Lauren Conrad’s books! I read them thorught high school as they were coming out. I got to meet her my sophomore year in high school when she went on a book tour for The Fame Game. I’ve been meaning to pick up her newest book Celebrate since it came out this past march. I have eight in total.

The L.A Candy Series

L.A Candy

Sweet Little Lies

Sugar and Spice

The Fame Game Series

The Fame Game

Starstruck

Infamous

Style

Beauty

2.) Sarah Dessen

I love Sarah Dessen’s books almost as much as I love Lisi Harrison’s. It’s funny how she comes in as my second most owned author. I started reading her books at the end of my junior year and high school. I love her books. Heck, I drove four hours to meet her last spring when Saint Anything came out. I have all of Sarah Dessen’s Novels, there are twelve in total, plus a short story.

It’s funny how she comes in at my most owned author because she’s my favorite author. I started reading Lisi’s book in 2009 the summer between my seventh and eight grade years of middle school. I got to meet her in 2010 and it’s still one of the happiest days of my life. I can’t fully express how much I love this woman. I own all of the books that Lisi has written. That’t 32 books. So i’m not going to list those out like I did with all of the other books but I will list out the series.

The Clique Series including The Summer Collection, The Cliquetionary, The Clique Prequel Charmed and Dangerous The Rise of the Pretty Committee and The graphic novel adaptation of The Clique.

The Alphas Series

The Monster High Series

The two books from out from the Pretenders Series

I hope you liked this! I’ve been brain storming on things I could post other than book reviews, just to change things up a bit! If you have any ideas on some posts I could do, please tell me!

In Emily Giffin’s seventh novel, Shea Rigsby has known one thing her entire life, and that is the small college town, Walker Texas, that she grew up in and her life revolves around one thing, Walker College football. Shea grew up with her best friend, Lucy, whose father is the head coach of the football team. When Lucy’s mother, Connie dies, it causes Shea to question her life and she starts to wonder, is there more to life than Walker football.

So, for me personally, this book started off slow. I think I had a hard time staying interested at first because of all the football talk and jargon. Don’t get me wrong, I like football but I don’t care about it unless it’s concerning the Houston Texans. While so much of the specific football talked bored me at times, I do like the authenticity it gave the characters.

Speaking of authenticity, Emily Giffin nailed it when it came to describing life in a small Texas town. Football is a way of life in Texas, college football, and high school football even more so. I think my favorite line in the book was the line that said “because everyone knew that there weren’t many things in Texas that barbecued ribs couldn’t fix.” This is a very true statement. Barbecue is a food group in Texas. With living in Texas, I have to say, it was very interesting reading a book that takes place in Texas. Not many books take place in Texas (at least the ones I read).

Something else I really liked about this book was when Shea started dating the Dallas Cowboys quarterback (fictional), Ryan James. Ryan and Shea were friends when they attended Walker together and started hanging out when Shea bumped in to Ryan at a Walker football game. As one of the many girls in Houston who finds the Texans defensive end, J.J Watt, cute, I liked how this story explored what it’s like to be the girlfriend of a player in the NFL. (I’m still dreaming like every other girl in Houston).

This was perhaps my favorite thing about this novel. Emily Giffin beautifully brought a light to domestic violence and how in sports, it’s not really punished. Under no circumstances, is domestic violence in any way shape or from ok. It really pissed me off when a major organization like the NFL has a chance to do something about it, to make a stance and say “no, this is not okay” and they do absolutely nothing. I love how there is awareness for that raised in this book.

I just want to make a quick note saying that you do not have to be in to football to enjoy this book. Yes, it does talk about football but this isn’t a sports book. Like Emily Giffin’s other books, this book is about relationships. It’s a character driven book and has all the things that you’d expect from one of her books.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but there were some places that I feel that the story did drag on. Because of that, I give it a four out of five stars.

Have you read this book? Did you like it too? What’s your favorite Emily Giffin book? Tell me!

Hey guys! It’s thanksgiving week, and it’s a time where everyone give thanks. Here at Book Alphas, we’re thankful for books! So today, we thought we’d tell you exactly what books we’re thankful for.

And before we get in to it, we want to take a second to apologize for our inconsistent posting. We’ve been crazy busy with projects and finals and basically college life. We’re going to be more consistent in the new year, we’re even looking at twice a week!

Five:

Tina’s Pick-

The Clique Series by Lisi Harrison. Some of the very first books I ever read were the books in the Clique Series. Following the adventures of Massie Block and her friends showed me how reading could be a fun experience that transports you to another world. Not only did these books help spur my love of reading when I was younger, but they also helped bond me to one of my favorite people and best friends, Kate. This series not only impacted my life but truly helped me fall in love with reading.

Kate’s Pick-

The Fame Game by Lauren Conrad. I really love all of Lauren Conrad’s books because they got me in to reading again after I finished the Clique Series. However, I choose this book specifically because it was The Fame Game book tour that I got to meet Lauren Conrad. She complimented my dress and I was ecstatic. She also thought I was cute because I had all of her books with me and she’s a super sweet person. I wish she’d write another series!

Four:

Tina’s Pick-

Two Little Girls in Blue, by Mary Higgins Clark. I read this book when I was in the sixth grade for an author project. For years, I could not get it out of my head and kept trying to find it in every bookstore. I finally found it when I saw it and remembered the title about a year ago in a Goodwill. This book is about a family whose two twins are kidnapped. When one is returned for ransom and the other believed to be dead, the mother refuses to believe in her other daughter’s death because it seems the twin at home can communicate with her sister. The book as a whole is an edge-of-your-set thriller that is written beautifully, definitely worth searching for a few years to find.

Kate’s Pick-

Heart of The Matter by Emily Giffin. I only read this book for the first time back in October but it was soo good, I had to put it on this list. This book tells the story of two women, Tessa and Valerie whom have absolutely nothing in common until one night where a tragic accident connects their lives. The story is told in alternative points of view of Tessa and Valerie and tells a very unique story. I read it in like three days and if you’re a fan of Something Borrowed, there’s a update on Rachel and Dex in this book!

Three:

Tina’s Pick-

The Crank Trilogy by Ellen Hopkins. I know I wrote about another book by Hopkins awhile ago but I am going to sing her praises again because she is one of my favorite authors ever. Crank and its subsequent two sequels was some of the first more grown up books I decided to read, and I am glad every day I did. Not only did these books scare me from doing drugs forever, it reminds me every time I read it the importance of not losing sight of what is important in life.

Kate’s Pick-

So I know I’ve talked about this book in a previous post but that’s not going to stop me from mentioning this book again, If You Have To Cry, Go Out Side and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone. I’ve now read this book twice and i’ll probably read it a few more times. Kelly Cutrone has really influenced my life through this book. The first time I read it I was in tenth grade and I didn’t realize how much it stuck with me until earlier this year when I reread it and kept saying to myself, that’s where I got this from. I love Kelly’s outlook on life and she gives some great advice in this book. I firmly believe that it’s a book that every woman should read at least one in her life.

Two:

Tina’s Pick-

The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. Hands down my favorite series ever, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me. I am the biggest Harry Potter fan. I have seen all the movies, read all the books, gone to as many midnight premieres as possible, and will be getting a season pass to the Universal in LA just so I can go the HP World there all the time. Harry Potter has brought some of the best people into my life through Quidditch (I play at my college). This series has impacted my life so deeply and makes me beyond happy every day.

Kate’s Pick-

Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen. This was the second Sarah Dessen book I read and one of the few books i’ve finished reading and said “this is my favorite book.” I think about this story all the time, and this book and Sarah’s writing has really influenced my own writing. I guess I like this book because I’m a sucker for this kind of series. It’s about Ruby who was living with her mom until she disappeared. Once it was discovered she was living by herself, she is sent to live with her other sister, Cora, and her husband, Jamie. The story is about Cora and Ruby rebuilding their relationship and them growing closer together. Yes, it’s amazing and I love it and I cant say enough good things about it.

One:

Tina’s Pick-

Thirteen Reason’s Why by Jay Asher. If you have ever read this novel, then you understand why I have chosen it for my number one book I am most thankful for. I plan on writing a long blog post soon talking about it, because I cannot express in just this short amount of space how amazing this book is. It makes you think about every action you take and how it affects others. It will make you feel happy and sad and emotional. It will make you question mankind’s kindness, but then feel overjoyed at our capacity to learn. I can honestly say this book changed the way I see the world, and for anyone who reads it, I hope it changes your world too.

Kate’s Pick-

Like Tina, I pick The Clique series but I am going to pick a specific book in the series Revenge of the Wannabes. This is my favorite book in the series and it’s still one of my favorite books ever (and it’s one of the other books I closed and said ‘this is my favorite book’). I just loved everything about this book, especially how it’s one of the few books in the series that’s told in a point of view other than Massie and Claire. This is one of the books I took with me when I met Lisi Harrison and i’ve read this book so many times, i’ve lost count of the exact number of times i’ve read it. Really this series means everything to me (as do all of Lisi’s other books) but this book specifically, is the one I keep coming back to.

So what books are you guys thankful for? Did any of our picks make the list? Tell us!

My whole life i’ve loved reading and i’ve loved books. Hopefully one day i’ll have a daughter (a very, very, very, very long time from now) and I’ll get to pass that love of reading on to her. The other day I came a across an article on facebook similar to the one i’m writing now and i had heard of none of the books on that list but one (and it actually made my list too). So, I started thinking that there are some books that have had a special place in my heart and I would love to share with her at different stages of her life.

A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech

This is a picture book about a school where the principal loves school so much that they start having school on the weekends and at the night time- they have school all the time.

I have really fond memories of this book. I remember I was in kindergadren or first grade when this book came out and the first time I heard this story was when the school librarian read it aloud at story time. I really liked the story and my parents bought me the book at the school book fair. I have memories of reading this book with my dad. I would love to have memories like that with my future daughter.

Meet Molly by Valerie Tripp

Meet Molly is the first book out of six about Molly McIntire who is ten years old during World War 2.

I think about Molly and American Girl in general when I think about my childhood. She was my first (and still my favorite) American Girl. I received Molly for Christmas when I was seven years old. The book was a bit out of my reading level so my mom used to read them to me. I think she read most of the books to me but as I got older and became a better reader, I reread the books. I loved these stories and I loved Molly. Something I would love to do is when my daughter is about seven or eight, I would love to read her Meet Molly and then when we finish reading the story, pull out my Molly doll for her to play with.

The Clique by Lisi Harrison

I didn’t read Harry Potter until I was out of high school. So growing up, Lisi Harrison was my J.K Rolling,Octavian Country Day was my Hogwarts and The Clique series to me is what the Harry Potter series is to many.

The Clique series starts when Massie’s parents are telling her that the Lyons family is moving in to their guest house and that they have a daughter Massie’s age names Claire. While Massie’s family is wealthy and Massie wears all the designer brands, Claire’s family is not and she wears clothes from Old Navy and The Gap. Massie and her friends Alicia, Kristin and Dylan are the most popular girls in the seventh grade and Claire wants to be friends with them. However, Massie and her friends decide that they don’t like Claire and basically bully her.

The story is told in the point of view Massie and Claire alternating every other chapter. I want my daughter to read those books (or at least the first one) because they show that the mean girl is mean because she has issues herself and that being the popular girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I started this series the summer of 2009 when I was about to go in to eighth grade and finished the series when the last book came out February 2011.

This series was the book series that got me in to reading and loving books. Waiting for the new book in this series to come out was the first time I was excited for a book release. I got to meet Lisi Harrison in 2010, it was my first book signing and one of the happiest days of my life. I cried when I read the end of the series was coming. These books helped make me the reader I am today. I found a comfort in this story and it felt like Massie, Kristen, Dylan, Alicia and Claire were my friends at a time when I felt lonely. I hope my future daughter gets half as much out of these books as I did.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Her whole life, Sydney has lived in the shadow of her older bother Peyton. In the eyes of their parents, Peyton can do no wrong. Even when Peyton gets in to a drunk driving accident paralyzing a boy and he is sent to jail, their parents don’t see it as his fault. Sydney, who needs a fresh start and is desperately trying to escape her bother’s shadow, transfers from her private school to the public school where she meets Layla and Mac and for the first time in her life, she starts to feel visible.

This books was only recently released but it already means so much to me and is defiantly a book that I want my future daughter to read. I just connected with Sydney, the main character and I wanted her friend Layla to be my real life best friend. Also, I craved pizza, french fries and root bear dum dums while reading this book. I don’t know what to say about this book other than the story really hit home with me and that it’s really really good. This is one of Sarah Dessen’s best books and I hope by having my daughter read this book, it will turn her on to other Sarah Dessen books.

The Truth About Style by Stacy London

I want my future daughter to have Stacy London in her life because of the influence that Stacy has had on mine. Because of Stacy, for the first time in my life, I was able to look in the mirror and feel proud of my body.

The Truth about Style, Stacy tells her story about coming to accept her body and her struggles with eating disorders and psoriasis while telling the story of nine other women and their struggle with accepting their body. While I was reading this book, not only did I feel connected to Stacy, but I felt connected to these women whose stories were being told. This is one of those books that I feel every woman should read.

If You Have to Cry, Go Out Side by Kelly Cutrone

In this book, Kelly Cutrone shares her story of how she made it where she is today. She shares her wisdom that she learned from those experiences.

This is the book that was on the facebook article I previously mentioned and I think this is another one of those books that every woman should read. I read it for the first time in tenth grade and I read it a second time in May of this year. I was surprised to find how much of that book had really sunk in to my mind. It’s safe to say that Kelly Cutrone has influenced my life- I’m going in to fashion PR after watching her show, Kell On Earth. I love how she’s straight forward and basically doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks. I want to be like her- actually working for her is my dream job. I love Kelly’s outlook on life and the advice she gives in this book apply to more than just the fashion industry. She’s an amazing woman and a kick ass publisist and I hope to be like her one day.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

On the Eve of her 30th Birthday, Rachel ends up sleeping with Dexter. No big deal, right? Actually very big deal- Dexter is engaged to another woman, Darcy, who is Rachel’s childhood best friend. But it doesn’t just stop there, Rachel and Dexter start to fall in love with each other and their one night stand turns in to a full on affair.

I will most likely gift this book to my daughter when she becomes engaged. I might even give her my copy of the book that was my mom’s. This is a great story, one of my favorite books and I think it’s a humorous and slightly ironic wedding/ pre-wedding gift. Plus, Rachel and Dex ❤

Have you read any of the books I mentioned above? Would you have your future daughter read any of them? Are there any books that you would add to this list? Tell me!

I went book shopping this past weekend at Barnes and Noble and for the first time, I went to a Half Price Books to actually shop in and I made out with some killer deals and I thought that you as fellow book lovers would share my excitement! So think of this as a bonus post!First, I went to Barnes and Nobel, where the bargain section has become one of my favorite places to buy books because their cheep and new. I’ve made off with some brand new hardback books that are normally priced $30 for $6-$7.I didn’t make off with a deal that sweet this time but, still a pretty awesome deal. I got The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. I typically prefer not to buy the movie adaptation cover but it was on sale for $5.98 normally $15. I know the regular retail price because the cashier tried to ring it up with that price. It’s not even that cheep on amazon! I’ve never read a book by Nicholas Sparks but I have seen a few of his book to movie adaptations and each one has ended with me crying like a baby. So just imagine what the book is going to do to me. I can’t wait to read it!

Next, I went to Half Price Books. I’ve been to half price books a few times before but I never really looked around. I have been missing out. Half price is a new favorite book store of mine, especially because today, I hit the jack pot.

In half price, this was the first book I specifically went looking for was Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I saw the movie for this such a long time a go and have been wanting to read the book ever since but what actually got me to pick it up was that I just finished reading Finding Audrey, Sophie’s YA debut and it was soooo goood (review coming soon). The best part? The book was $3.95! I was hoping to buy that book but I never imagined that I would get it for such a good price.

So now that I had what I was looking for, I wondered around the store and in to the YA section, like I always do and I came across Bunheads by Sophie Flack. I’m not sure what it’s about, a ballerina I assume but it’s from the Poppy sub division of little brown publishing. I haven’t read a book from poppy that I haven’t liked. (and I’ve read a lot of them. All of Lisi Harrison’s Books, The Secrets of my Hollywood Life series by Jen Calonita, The Daughters series by Joanna Philbin, Jennifer E. Smith is published under Poppy as are the Gossip Girl books… I think you get my point.) (Also, I swear this post is not sponsred by Poppy, I just really love their books.) It was a hardback book for $4.99 so I figured, what do I have to loose? Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there a show on ABC Family a few years ago under the same name. I think the two may be connected but I have no idea.

So last but not least, I got a hard back copy of one of my favorite books Where We Belong by Emily Giffin.It was only 7.99 but that’s not even close to the best part. IT’S SIGNED.

I’M STILL FREAKING OUT! And to think I almost didn’t look at it. I walked by it and thought, it’s pretty but I don’t need two copies of this book. I still decided to pull it off the shelf and look at it. That was when I found it was signed and I still debated it because, I already have a copy of the book but then my dad pointed out, it’s only $8, so why not? I then told him he was my enabler and then went to the check out. I regret nothing.

Though, seriously read this book. It’s about Kirby, who on her eighteenth birthday decided to track down her birth mother, Marion, and she goes and shows up on at her New York apartment and the story is about them building some sort of a relationship and how their lives have changed since finding each other. I’ll go in to more details about the book and my opinions at the favorite reads of 2015 post Tina and I are planning for the end of the year but seriously, read this book.

Have you read any of these books? Do you like to shop for bargain books? Tell me all about it!

Like my picture? I tired to go all artsy looking like on those book Instagram accounts. It looks kind of cool if you ask me.

Anyways, this week, i’m very excited about my post because I’m taking about a book by a favorite author of mine, Emily Giffin!

In Love the One You’re With, Just one hundred days after Ellen had married the love of her life, Andy, she runs in to her exboyfriend, Leo, for the first time in eight years. The encounter is small, but Ellen can’t stop day dreaming about Leo and what night have happened if they hadn’t broken up. The interactions Ellen has with Leo are innocent, nothing really happens. She does not tell her husband about them. Ellen is trying to convince herself that it all means nothing, that she’s with Andy and he’s the one that she loves. But with Leo on the mind. Will she be able to?

Nothing really happens between Ellen and Leo. I felt like the whole time i was reading this novel, I was waiting for something to happen and that there was something lacking in the plot. I had a very difficult time getting in to this novel, a problem I typically don’t have with Emily Giffin’s novels.

I did love the questions that this novels asks, what happens when you can’t let go of the one who got away? and what is considered cheating in a relationship?

The very first thought that occurred to me on the very first page of the very first paragraph of this book is: I love how all her characters have such distinctive voices. I have read five of her seven (I own all seven and will be reading the other two very soon) novels and I am always impressed with the voice of her main characters.

Something I totally loved about this book, it that Emily Giffin totally predicted the Tiger Woods scandal. At one point, while her husband is watching golf, Ellen glances at the TV and wonders how Tiger Woods’ marriage is. This novel was published in 2008 and Tiger Woods admitted to cheating on his wife in December 2009.

Overall, I liked this book, I just didn’t love it. It was good writing and brought up good questions. I felt like at times the plot was dragging on and I just overall couldn’t get in to the story. I think I may have liked it better if it was a short story and not a novel.

I gave this novel a 3/5 stars on good reads because as i stated above, I liked this novel, I just didn’t love it. I don’t necessarily recommend this novel but I do very highly recommend that you check out some of Emily Giffin’s other novels. Something Borrowed and it’s sequel Something Blue were fabulous and Where We Belong is one of my favorite novels.

Hello and Welcome to Book Alphas! We’re Kate and Tina! We’ve been best friends since the fourth grade (when we were nine years old) and we love books and reading so much that we’ve decided to start a blog about it. We’ll be coming to you on Fridays with anything and everything book related that we can think of. We plan on taking turns writing posts, so one week Tina will post and the following week Kate will post and so on.

Hi I’m Kate and I’ve loved reading for as far back as I can remember. One of my favorite fictional characters, Rory Gilmore, once said said “I live in two worlds. One is a world of books.” This very much applies to me. My favorite part about reading is getting lost in a fictional universe. I have a TBR (to be read) list with more books on it than i’ll probably ever get to read but I’m no quitter! My favorite book series is The Clique Series by Lisi Harrison and my favorite book is Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. I love reading young adult contemporary and chick lit novels. My favorite authors are Lisi Harrison, Sarah Dessen and Emily Giffin.

Hey everyone, my name is Tina, and books have been basically an essential part of my life since I was little. As you will learn and eventually experience, my favorite book series/ obsession of all time is Harry Potter, so expect to see some highly detailed opinions, reviews, and quotes from me in my posts. I tend to read anything that captures my interest, so the books I will talk about will come from all across the literary spectrum. Some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, Ellen Hopkins, and J.K Rowling. I am super excited to be working on this blog with my best friend, and I hope that you the reader will use this blog not only to your advantage but as a way to deepen your love for reading and learn about some awesome books. Don’t hesitate to comment on posts we write if you agree or disagree with anything that we write (but keep it positive, we are all part of the same book-loving community) or if you have any books that you recently read that you think we would like/ want us to review.

We are so excited to officially launch this blog and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we will like writing it!